Longitudinal changes in resilience mediate the relationship between child maltreatment and emotional-behavioral problems in an early adolescent cohort

Emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) are serious social problems prevalent among children and adolescents. However, additional information is needed to understand if resilience changes could mediate the association between child maltreatment and EBPs. Our study group conducted a cohort study among 1605 early adolescent students in grades 7 to 9 to answer these questions. The results revealed that resilience changes could partially mediate the association between child maltreatment and emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity-attention, and peer problems during early adolescence. Further, changes in resilience could completely mediate the association between child maltreatment and prosocial behaviors. The resilience of adolescents is slightly improved during early adolescence. Resilience changes can mediate child maltreatment and EBPs, implying that maltreatment during childhood could hinder the development of resilience during early adolescence. Together, this could lead to the development of severe EBPs. Therefore, supporting the establishment of internal and providing external resilience resources could help prevent EBPs during early adolescence.